Anxiety & Depression among Pregnant Women of Quetta, Pakistan

The current study aims to evaluate the frequency and predictors of A&D among pregnant women attending a tertiary healthcare institutes in Quetta city, Pakistan. A questionnaire based, cross-sectional survey was conducted. The pre-validated Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were used to assess the frequency of A&D among study respondents. Anxiety and depression scores were calculated via standard scoring procedures while logistic regression was used to identify the predictors of A&D. Seven hundred and fifty pregnant women responded to the survey. The mean anxiety score was 10.08?52; the mean depression score was 9.51?55 and the total HADS score was 19.23?91. Logistic regression analysis reported significant goodness of fit (Chi square = 17.63, p = 0.030, DF = 3), indicating that the model was advisable. Among all variables, age had a significant association when compared with HADS scores [adjusted OR (odds ratios) = 1. 23, 95 % CI = 1.13 - 1.62, p < 0.001). The evidence from this study provides a motion of support programs for anxious and depressed pregnant women. Therefore, there is a need to incorporate A&D screening in the existing antenatal programs.